On Sunday, 37-year-old Derell Mickles was suspected of entering the train station without paying the fare. When he was confronted by nearby police, he allegedly approached them with a knife. Mickles was shot by Police, three others injured during the incident as well. Mickles is said to be in stable condition, yet protestors took to the subway after prosecutors announced there would be charges filed against him.
These protestors gave out MetroCards, helping commuters get through the turnstiles. This created a large crowd who marched and chanted throughout the night.
Of the 18 known people arrested on Tuesday, all were given summonses except one. They received a desk appearance ticket.
Tyrik Coleman, who lives locally spoke to reporters about how he and others feel regarding the situation. “A lot of people were traumatized, especially civilians that want to take the train…You expect to take the train and go from point A to point B and then you can lose your life just like that because of somebody that’s supposed to be a professional who don’t got the proper training and is negligent with their firearm. It’s not fair.” He said.
Mayor Eric Adams assured locals on Tuesday that the shots were necessary. “He was not shot for fare evasion. He was shot because he had a knife and he went after the police officers…I thought those officers responded accordingly.” He said.
